Grant to replace lead pipes in homes

By Dan Walsh

The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien has launched a campaign to create awareness of the improved grant available to remove lead pipes from homes.

The Domestic Lead Remediation Grant Scheme provides funding for 100% of the approved cost of works to replace lead pipes, up to €5,000.

The grant is administered by local authorities and is not means-tested. The removal of lead pipes is the most effective way to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water and the available grant has the aim of replacing lead pipes with healthier, modern alternatives in the interests of public health.

Older housing stock built before the 1980s may contain lead pipes which in turn causes lead – which can be harmful to health – to enter drinking water.

A Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage advertising campaign across print, broadcast and digital media will encourage affected homeowners to avail of the scheme.

Minister O’Brien told WexfordLocal.com; “Through this campaign we are encouraging people to consider replacing old lead pipes with the support of the funding. We are committed to removing remaining lead piping entirely from our drinking water supply and this campaign seeks to raise awareness of the Government supports available for householders. The campaign follows from improvements to the grant that we made late last year meaning more households should now be able to avail of this grant.”

People can find out if their homes contain lead pipes by checking the pipe running from the water main to your kitchen tap and looking for the point where the water supply pipe enters your house. Unpainted lead pipes are dull grey in colour and the joints appear to be ‘swollen’. They are also soft and scraping the surface with a coin will reveal a shiny, silver metal beneath. A registered building professional can also check the type of pipework in your home.

The grant to remove lead pipes from the private site of your property complements Uisce Éireann’s Customer Opt-In programme. This scheme replaces lead pipes on the public side of your property free of charge. To qualify you must have replaced your lead private supply pipe.

Further Information on the Wexford County Council page; Lead Piping Remediation/Wexford County Council. (wexfordcoco.ie).